SELECTION OF TELEMARKETING EMPLOYEES BY STANDARDIZED ASSESSMENT PROCEDURES

Previous marketing research has focused on the optimal use of an exist ing salesforce, reflecting relatively little interest in the effects o f salesforce selection on subsequent sales performance. A predictive v alidity study is described herein in which 85 telemarketing employees in a large telecommunications company were, prior to being hired, admi nistered a battery of cognitive-ability and self-report trait measures . Three months later they were assessed on their job performance. Two cognitive-ability tests-one measuring perceptual speed and accuracy, t he other, divergent thinking ability-and a number of scales from both a widely used personality questionnaire (the California Psychological Inventory [CPI]) and a special-purpose telemarketing selection instrum ent (the Telemarketing Applicant Inventory) yielded significant validi ties (of between 0.18 and 0.41) for at least one of several aggregated jab-performance measures. A predictively-effective composite was deri ved, consisting of the two cognitive-ability tests noted and three CPI scales (Self-Acceptance, Socialization, and Achievement via Conforman ce). The composite yielded statistically-significant and useful predic tive validities (of between 0.32 and 0.49) for several aggregated job- performance criteria. Utility analysis-a technique often used to exami ne the organizational consequences of selection strategies-was perform ed, with the present results reflecting substantial gains to the hirin g organization. The reported research highlights the importance of eff ective hiring practices in achieving optimal subsequent salesforce per formance. (C) 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.